Premarital Sexual Experience among Coeds, 1958 and 1968

A study done in 1958 was replicated in 1968 with the same questionnaire and a sample of coeds selected the same way from the same university. The number of girls having premarital coitus while in a dating relationship went from 10% in 1958 to 23% in 1968. While the increase in premarital coitus during engagement increased from 31% to 39% this was not as striking as the increase in dating and going-steady stages. Also the data show that in 1958 engagement was often the prerequisite to a girl having premarital sexual intercourse Both Protestant and Jewish girls show a consistent increase in rates of premarital intercourse; the number of Catholics was too small for analysis. The percentage felling guilty about coitus was reduced about 1/2 at all 3 dating levels from 65% to 36% while dating from 61% to 30% while going-steady and from 41% to 20% while engaged. Regardless of religious affiliation those girls with the highest rates of attendance at religious services had the lowest rates of premarital coitus. Girls who had their 1st date before age 15 and those who dated many partners were more likely to have coitus in a dating relationship. 56% of the 1968 sample had more than 1 partner and 22% had coitus in a dating relationship with 5 or more partners.